The Double Goer
by lannistersdebt
Summary: The voice came from his left and he bristled as he spun—not only had he been sure he was alone, the voice sounded exactly like his own.


Written for QLFC Quarter Finals.  
Wigtown Wanderers  
Beater 1  
Prompt: Use the Beater 2 prompt for their favourite round this season. (Round 5: Write about a character meeting his/her doppelganger from another universe).  
Additional prompts: [quote] 'You did a very good job convincing her we were in love.' - Caraval, Stephanie Garber and [colour] silver

* In a lot of German lore, dopplegangers are cosidered wraiths or apparitions with no shadows and are replicas or doubles of a living person. If person A's friend or relative saw the doppleganger of person A, it was said that illness or danger would befall person A. However, if a person saw their own doppleganger it was said to be an omen of death.

* * *

He'd known the moment that Flitwick said the Death Eaters had arrived that this would be the night. There would be no more delays, no more bought time. The end was nigh and Dumbledore had cheated death long enough. Or was it Severus himself who had cheated, containing the curse to the headmaster's hand, buying him more time? Either way, they owed a debt and tonight he'd have to pay it.

There was movement in the shadows along the staircases as he hurried up them and he kept looking toward them, sure he was seeing the sweeping of a cloak. But when he'd squint or make to point his wand that direction, all would be still. He frowned as he took the last of the stairs, sure he'd seen the back of someone's head and the tip of a wand along the way.

The whole way down the corridor he was tense, listening for any sound that indicated he had company. After a last look around to make sure the corridor was indeed empty, he opened the door to his classroom and slid inside. He knew he didn't have much time—he needed to get to the astronomy tower—but first he needed a moment to himself. His boots echoed on the stone beneath them, the sound magnified among the tables usually occupied by students with their nearly ceaseless chatter.

From the doorway he could see the faint green tint in the sky and almost without realizing it, he found himself drawn to the balcony just beyond the windows, propelled by both disgust and a morbid curiosity. As many times as he had seen the Dark Mark in the sky, it had never been over Hogwarts.

He wondered who had died.

"I knew you were a coward." The voice came from his left and he bristled as he spun—not only had he been sure he was alone, the voice sounded exactly like his own. "I had rather hoped you'd prove me wrong."

"Do _not _call me a coward." Severus scanned the shadows again, this time making out the outline of another person. Who was this, lurking just out of sight and seeing fit to mock him? He had the sense they knew more about what he was supposed to do tonight than he'd like and the thought made him uncomfortable. They'd been so careful.

"Ah but why else would you come in here and hide?" The voice was calm but curious and hearing the slight taunting tone in it unnerved him. "You've got a job to do."

"And I'll get on with it. Who are you?"

"Quite simply put, I'm you." The figure moved forward then to stand a couple paces away from him, and Severus brought his wand up defensively when he saw himself. His double was now bathed in the silver light from the moon peeking through the clouds, though no shadow fell behind him, and it was for that reason alone that he did not hex him. "No polyjuice potion or complex incantations, I assure you. Why have you not killed the old man yet?"

Severus frowned and his right hand twitched. He wanted to fire any number of spells at this being but he sensed it would do no good. As much as he wanted to believe somebody was pulling some tricks on him, he didn't have the time to try to investigate and a quick attempt at legilimency showed no mind he could penetrate. For all intents and purposes, he was alone in the classroom. Was he going insane then?

"I needed a moment." His double nodded as though he already knew this, but needed him to say it anyway, and suddenly Severus understood. _That _was why his doppelganger was there, why he hadn't seen him before?

"You've accepted it but you're still doubting whether it's right, aren't you?"

"It doesn't matter whether I doubt or not at this point. One of us will be dying tonight—perhaps both, if I'm not the one to do it."

There was a scream from somewhere below them and both versions of Severus looked down at the grounds, the blend of dark shadows and cool silvery light deceiving. It looked as though this was any other night at the castle—and oh how he wished that was true.

The doppelganger leaned against a column and smirked over at Severus. "Ah, yes… The Vow. You did a very good job convincing her we were in love."

Severus whirled on him again, tightening his hold on his wand in his right hand as his left hand balled into a fist. "_Do not go there._"

His double's smirk only grew. "You'd really be willing to let her son die, then? They do say history repeats itself…"

"No. I wouldn't have made the Vow if… if I didn't love her."

Severus could feel his heartbeat speed up and he looked back outside, up instead of down, picturing the scene up above in the astronomy tower. He knew Draco would be up there with Dumbledore, hopefully still alone. With any luck, he could send the boy just inside the door, perhaps get him started down the stairs, and then kill Dumbledore. He could feel the calm he'd sought when he'd come in here settling over his chest like Narcissa's favorite cat, a soft but reassuring weight.

"Do you really, then?"

Severus kept looking upward and his doppelganger couldn't help but notice his vulnerability. The worry, the pain on his face, in his eyes, emotion that wove through the stoism anyone else would see. He looked like he was deep in thought, and when he finally spoke, his voice was so quiet it nearly got lost in the sound of another shout.

"Yes." He cleared his throat. "Very much."

"You'll want to go, then." And then his mask was dropped completely and if the doppelganger had to describe what he saw, he could only summarize it as fear.

Severus nodded once and turned back toward the classroom, schooling his features once more. He glanced around but he was alone again, and with a slight shake of his head, he strode to the door, ready to seal his fate.


End file.
